


(Christmas)Time To Make A Move

by iero0



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Christmas, Christmas Party, Dancing, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28151352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iero0/pseuds/iero0
Summary: For Harry Potter, the only bright part of the DMLE Christmas party is Draco Malfoy. When their evening moves onto Blaise's mansion Harry decides it is time to make his move, especially when he watches Draco and Pansy dancing to Muggle Christmas songs.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 14
Kudos: 112





	(Christmas)Time To Make A Move

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> I've been watching [this YouTube vid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0LbDRwSc_4&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=arin) by arin and I couldn't stop thinking about Pansy and Draco dancing at a Christmas party! So i just HAD TO write this little one shot. Please shower arin with lots of love, likes and comments in case you haven't already seen their videos!  
> HUGE thanks to my dear friend [Ladderofyears](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladderofyears/pseuds/Ladderofyears) who beta'd, helped with the title and is just such a kind person <3  
> Hope everyone is having a superb Christmas season!

Christmas parties could only go two ways. They could either be the one and only festivity that Harry enjoyed, or they could be utter shit. 

This evening had started out as the latter.

The DMLE had booked out an entire pub for the evening and had invited almost the whole departmental staff on a Thursday – a bloody _Thursday_. Friday would be hell considering the amount of Hot Buttered Rum Harry had been treating himself, fortunately enough on the Ministry purse.

And naturally, Harry had to be seated next to the Head Auror as if it wasn't enough to see his grumpy boss nearly every day of the blasted week. The witch had never been one to engage in small talk and so Harry had spent most of his dinner in an awkward silence, accompanied by the cheesy wizarding Christmas songs that seemed to play on a loop in all the offices of the DMLE, this pub and in every shop of Diagon Alley.

Harry’s partner to his other side hadn’t been much company either. It had taken him and a small group of wizards beside him only a few Firewhiskies to start a rather hostile rant about some centaurs they’d been interrogating. Hermione, sat across from Harry, had been dismayed but she'd known better than to reprimand half-drunken wizards who were well into their fifties at a department Christmas party. Whenever her and Harry’s gaze had met each other’s faces across the table he'd made sure to roll his eyes at the slurs, causing her to bite back a smile and hopefully lightening her mood a little.

The evening got a little bit better when the first few employees had called it a night and, finally, Harry wasn’t glued to his seat anymore. While Mrs Head Auror only watched the room’s joviality with an ominous expression, the unpleasant company to his other side stalked off to have a drink at the bar. Harry was just about to switch over and chat with Ron and Hermione when he was interrupted by Draco Malfoy. The wizard dropped down into the seat next to him, an amber liquid filled tumbler in his hand.

“Potter, I’ve been thinking,” Draco began unceremoniously. A few silken strands of white hair that had come free from his bun fell softly around his sharp features. He still wore his thick-framed reading glasses that he forgot to take off more often than not. Harry wondered if he was actually reading all the time or whether simply forgot that he wore them. A smart black jumper that would look casual on anyone else wrapped around his slender frame and complimented his aristocratic posture. The way Draco leaned onto the table, his long fingers wrapped around his glass, and the way he crossed his legs in those perfectly tailored, slim-fit trousers-

“Merlin’s sake… Are you listening at all?” Draco arched an eyebrow, and his silver eyes fixed onto Harry’s own. There was an incredulous expression on his elegant face. “May I please have your attention, Potter?”

“Sorry!” Harry chuckled a little nervously and grabbed his glass just to have something to do with his hands. “Maybe I had one too many of these,” he joked and downed the lukewarm remnants of his rum, guiltily listening to Draco’s disapproving hum.

“ _I’ve been thinking_ , _”_ Draco said. He cleared his throat demonstratively. “About the case with this potion that makes people sing operettas non-stop?”

“Oh.” Of course. What else would Draco want to chat about apart from work. “Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, I’ve been checking some of the records the past few days – which has been an utter farce; the Administration Services have no sense of order whatsoever – to check for crimes using potions of similar ingredients. There are quite a few much more pleasant occasions in which one might come across Elven wine. Rarely have I seen it processed in a potion, though.”

“Huh, so you’ve been investigating. I could’ve helped you with that rather than brooding over the file in my cubicle.”

Draco’s arched eyebrow rose higher, but the tiniest hint of a smirk played around the corner of his mouth. Harry couldn’t help but return the expression before Draco spoke again. “And let you make even more of a mess? Absolutely not. Arranging the records sensibly was enough of a Sisyphean task without your distraction. Anyhow…” He took a court sip of his drink and they both frowned at each other when Celestina Warbeck’s Christmas single _Enchanted Mistletoe (Kiss Me)_ started for the third time that evening. Harry was amused by Draco’s irritated sigh as though the wizard had to brace himself to endure the music. “What I do mean to say is- I might have found something that’s worth further investigation.”

“You did?”

“You’re surprised, how charming.” Harry almost missed Draco’s smirk that Draco hid by raising his glass to his lips again. Harry had the feeling that there must be something bubbling between the two of them _for weeks_. There were all these almost flirtatious, sometimes smug, half-smiles that gave Harry hope that he wasn’t imagining things. “So… What time tomorrow will be convenient for you?”

“Er… Tomorrow… I’m rather free I believe. Just stop by any time.” Harry's words were only meant to say that the man was always a welcome guest in his office. But something about the way Draco made a little displeased hum made Harry think that his words might’ve come out wrong.

The two of them fell into silence for a minute and Harry tried to think of a way to persuade Draco into talking about their co-worker’s ridiculous Christmas hats or the dullness of the Celestina Warbeck songs. He even wondered whether to offer him a taste of his new mug of Hot Buttered Rum. Just anything that would steer their conversation into something more private, something _intimate_. But all his plans went awry when Pansy Parkinson strolled into their company, blatantly ignoring the sign that told potential guests that the pub had a private party that evening.

“Draco, darling,” Pansy sang and pushed past a few DMLE employees to press a kiss onto Draco’s cheek and sit down next to him, her long coat fluttering behind her flamboyantly. She waved her hand at the rest of the guests, Ron and Hermione amongst them. They chatted with Neville, Dean and Seamus who were sat with other Ministry employees. All their heads perked up to send an acknowledging nod towards the unlikely guest. Pansy didn’t seem to mind any of the bewildered stares from the Ministry workers who hadn’t gone to Hogwarts with her.

Pansy’s eyes took in the table, the employees and the muted conversation. Then her eyes darted between Draco and Harry. “Now, this Christmas celebration looks dull, to say the very least. It’s no wonder that you wanted me to pick you up so early, dear.”

“Pick Draco up?” Harry probed with a smirk.

“Yes,” Pansy answered before Draco could. “Our Draco here is scared of getting himself too tipsy to start his day the usual two hours early tomorrow.”

“Mm, sounds just like him,” Harry said, his voice full of amusement. “I bet he takes the Sober-Up Potion before he goes to sleep.”

“Oh absolutely. I have caught him taking one at the gents before even heading home.”

“Well then. Case closed.”

Draco turned from Pansy to Harry and back. “Are the pair of you about done? Merlin…”

“Cheer up, sweetheart. I might have a little surprise up my sleeve. A change of tonight’s plans. Instead of heading home, I will take you to a festive soirée.”

Draco sight and checked the watch on his wrist. “It will get quite late. Who’s expecting us?”

“Blaise.”

Again, Draco sighed but already looked like he would budge on his plans. All the while Harry tried to think of a way of inveigling himself into the party. Maybe Draco would talk less about work when he was in familiar territory.

“How about you join us, Potter? You and your Gryffindor entourage over there.” With a grin that looked almost dangerous, Pansy nodded over to the others.

“Pansy,” Draco said.

“Draco.”

Harry intervened before Draco could ditch them. He yelled over the table to get their attention and chortling when he realised just how plastered Ron looked. “Listen, would you like to relocate this to Zabini’s place?”

“A house party! I’m in!” Ron sounded excited and immediately heaved himself up. He talked Neville and Dean into joining them. Hermione only inquired whether Nott would be there and then she agreed; the two worked at the Department of Mysteries together. The group waved their goodbyes to the last few remaining colleagues at the pub and took the Floo one by one until only Harry was left.

When Harry stumbled through the ashes, the first thing he noticed was that Draco had lingered by the hearth and looked ready to catch him after his clumsy Floo ride. He felt a little blush creep up his cheeks when their eyes met.

But his gaze was quickly drawn to the sight of the stately drawing room that he found himself in now. The contrast to the scruffy pub couldn’t be bigger. Several sofas and settees with velvet royal-blue upholsteries were arranged around the hearth in a room with high ceilings. Expensive-looking frescos ornamented the walls. Mystical geodes, magical gadgets and exotic cut flowers adorned the side tables and other aristocratic and likey antique pieces of furniture that Harry couldn’t name correctly. There was music playing that didn’t sound like it could be the all-time-favourite song of Aunt Petunia.

Harry knew that Blaise lived off his mother’s fortune but this house or flat or wherever they were was something else. It gave Draco’s townhouse some stiff competition and that said _a lot_.

“Blaise! I brought guests!” Pansy announced when she saw that there were only Nott, Goyle, Greengrass and Bulstrode in the room. Harry didn’t have much contact with any of the old Sytherin gang and only occasionally saw Nott around the Ministry. Even though it had been years since Hogwartsl, it felt a little like entering the serpent’s lair. Harry choked out a laugh when the former Gryffindors and Slytherins just stared at each other for a minute, befuddled.

When Blaise entered the drawing room, he seemed to be thrilled with Pansy’s company, and he raised the brandy glass he was holding in an excessive gesture. “Guests, how delightful! I do hope they remember to spell away the ashes upon entering my humble drawing room.” A little abashed, some of them drew their wands to clean up behind themselves. Of course, Hermione was already at it and so Harry didn’t have to lift a finger.

After spending the first few minutes making stilted conversations and sitting like rocks on the cosy settees the Gryffindors and the Slytherins warmed up to each other far quicker than Harry had expected them to. The self-refilling drinks of wine, whisky, and brandy that their host served them carried their part of the blame.

“Entertain me,” Pansy said, leaning onto Blaise who sat on the armrest and leant into the teasing witch. “We’ve come a long way from a dire Christmas celebration to this merry get-together. I’m in need of some amusement.”

“Isn’t she dramatic?” Blaise said and spelled the Wireless to play a little louder. Harry was fairly certain that those Christmas songs were Muggle. He did try not to be biased, but he was still rather surprised. Greengrass even sang along to several verses, and Dean startled Harry when he chimed in, apparently knowing the words to most of the songs.

Harry could hardly credit the difference when he thought of the evenings he'd spent in Ron’s and Hermione’s warm and cosy flat, surrounded by lots of books and wooden furniture, and dressed in joggers and a jumper. Everything here was extravagant, from the herringbone parquet to the dark rich colour pallet. Even the way Blaise raised his glass and said, “Chin-chin!” stuck Harry as over the top.

“So…,” Draco suddenly said in a low voice next to Harry, snapping him out of his trance. “Tomorrow. What time again?”

Harry turned to him. “Anytime. I’m usually having lunch around noon.” He thought for a moment and sipped his brandy. There must be some kind of way for the pair of them to spend more time together than simply going through files in his office but everything that came to Harry’s mind sounded ridiculous.

“We could have lunch together,” Draco suggested, and Harry’s heart jumped on his chest. Draco’s eyes flickered up to Harry’s and he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind his ear. “I mean… Catch up with the case over a spot of lunch and check the files afterwards?”

“Sure,” Harry agreed and swallowed down the small lump of disappointment. He didn’t know if it was the cloying brandy or just the excitement of the evening, but Draco’s face suddenly seemed so close. He felt heat rise in his cheeks. If Harry would only lean in these few little-

Pansy’s sudden gasp drowned all their chatter and startled Harry out of the powerful gravitation he felt towards Draco. “Draco,” Pansy said in a decisive tone and her finger was pointing directly at him. 

There was a moment of silence until Draco said, “Oh no…” Harry still had no idea what was going on.

“It’s our song, darling,” Pansy enthused. Harry tried to recognise the song, but he couldn't make out any of the words. All Harry could tell was that it was another Muggle Christmas song playing. It didn’t sound nearly as old-fashioned as Celestina Warbeck.

“I won't tolerate any excuses,” Pansy said.

Hermione was the only one who asked the question that was on Harry’s mind. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, I’m sure this will be quite enjoyable,” Blaise announced. He and Pansy stood up and he moved the armchair and a coffee table away with a flick of his wand. “We’re about to be blessed with a dance interlude.”

“Finally!” Daphne exclaimed. “I haven’t ever been here to see it before. My family had spent the hols after the war in Greece,” she told Dean as if he’d understand any of what she was saying.

“No, forget it, Pans.” Draco downed his brandy in one go and pulled a face, watching as the glass refilled on its own. “I’m not doing this, it’s rather ridiculous. And it’s been years! Do you really think I’d remember the choreography? I might add, you still owe me. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be chasing that bloke, trying to impress him with your unreasonably short skirts and your faux fascination for snow sports. _Sweet Salazar_ , it’s not my fault that he turned out to be yet another cousin of our rather complicated pedigree.” Despite his words, Draco had taken off his glasses, and absentmindedly pressed them into Harry’s hands. He had gotten up and flounced over to Pansy as he spoke.

Pansy laughed as heartily as Harry had ever seen her before as she told Blaise to start the song over. Draco looked as irritated as one might expect after his rant, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his hips crooked out to one side. It was only when the music began again, and Pansy moved her body with the first few beats that Harry finally understood that they were about to dance for real. Harry leaned back, ready to enjoy the show. He liked the idea of a new reason to tease Draco.

What Harry hadn’t expected was that he’d _enjoy the show_.

Once Draco started moving, all the prim rigidness vanished from Draco’s body. It was replaced with an elegant, enticing poise. Their moves had everything. Expansive slides and small kicks, shimmying and pirouettes. It was a fun and playful thing to watch. Draco’s hips and torso bent and slithered in the most promising ways; his every move trained to look easy. His expression, in contrast, didn’t look schooled at all, but the most genuinely flirtatious one that Harry thought he'd ever seen on another man. Sometimes his eyebrows arched up in that way that way solely Draco, his grin coquettish and wider than he’d usually allowed himself to, his eyes gleaming with self-confidence.

It was over much too quickly but fortunately, Daphne instantly screamed for an encore which Draco and Pansy seemed only too happy to deliver. The music started over and Harry was prepared this time, trying to burn Draco’s every move into his memory. When Hermione slapped his arm, amusement gleaming from her knowing eyes, Harry could only half care about being caught out looking.

Draco and Pansy’s second dance transitioned to something more wild and free. More people joined the dancefloor – which Harry would absolutely not. 

What did set Harry into motion, though, was the sight of Blaise engaging Draco into conversation, separating the blond wizard a little from the crowd. He threw his head back in laughter over something that Draco had said, exposing his long, smooth neck for Draco to see. _No_ , this was definitely not happening.

“Hey, er, Draco,” Harry said, moving in close by. “About- About this case,” was the first thing that came to mind.

“For the love of Circe, Harry,” Blaise said. “We’re celebrating the pleasures of life tonight. Thus, our little soirée will not favour any of your work-talk. Instead, enjoy another brandy. Maybe add some visual appeal to the dance floor for us.”

To Harry’s satisfaction, Draco didn’t agree with his Slytherin friend. “Some people have actual jobs, Blaise. The case is important.” Okay, it wasn’t like anyone was really harmed - apart from the poor bystanders - when the victim of the potion wasn’t a gifted singer. But Harry clung to Draco’s words.

“Very important indeed.”

Sighing overdramatically, Blaise gave the two of them some space. Harry still had no clue what to say to his friend. So he started by handing Draco back his glasses which the man shoved back on the bridge of his nose. Draco then blinked a few times. Harry was more and more under the impression that they weren’t only for reading. Now that he was close to Draco again, Harry could see the excitement from his performance written all over his face. An endearing flush pinked his cheeks and his eyes gleamed enthusiastically. He looked so very different from his usual pristine complexion and noble, aristocratic expression.

Draco broke their silence. “So, the case? Or did you come here to make fun of me for my effeminate dancing?”

Harry took a deep breath and let it out in a rumbling chuckle. Reacting to Draco felt so much easier than thinking of something to say. “You know, you’re kind of taking the wind out of my sails by saying that.”

Draco frowned. “Is this a Muggle saying?”

“I think, it’s, er… Doesn’t matter. Well, I didn’t. Come to make fun of you, I mean.” Annoyed with his poor ability to speak in clear, coherent sentences, Harry tried again. “I think you looked rather stunning.

The blush on Draco’s cheeks grew a little pinker and his eyes flickered up to meet Harry’s as though to check if he wasn’t teasing him. “Stunning,” he repeated like he couldn’t really fathom the word. Involuntarily, the movement of his lips caught Harry’s eyes and apparently Draco had noticed. Turning on his heels, Draco left the drawing room and signalled Harry to follow him. This was it. His heart raced. This would either be awfully good or terribly embarrassing.

In the hallway Draco leaned with his back against the wall panelling, his lips sucked in like they always did when he was deep in thought, though tonight his expression looked lighter, almost excited. It reflected Harry’s dizzying anticipation all too perfectly. “Stunning, you said. Go on.”

Feeling the thick air between them that crackled with something even more thrilling than magic, Harry grinned and took a step closer. 

“Beautiful, mesmerizing, alluring. Hot,” Harry ventured to say while Draco reached out and buried his hand in the pocket of Harry’s cardigan. Even with all the fabric between Draco’s fingers and Harry’s skin, the touch sent a prickle up and down his body.

All Harry could focus on were Draco’s lips which curved up into a playful smile. If it were anyone else that Harry had flirted with, he would’ve pushed them up against the wall the moment they'd entered the hallway. But especially now that Draco and he were this close – not only working in the same department but friends, Harry hoped – he didn’t dare to ruin this. He knew that he would either keep on wondering if he read Draco’s signs correctly, _what could’ve been_ , or leap right now.

“Potter,” Draco said in a low voice. “Will you keep on staring or are we kissing, eventually?”

Harry couldn’t help but chuckle a little nervously. “I wasn’t sure if you…” He lapsed into silence as Draco pulled him closer. A sure finger tilted his chin up to come directly face to face with eyes that shone like molten silver. Even though Harry was the one who caged Draco against the wall, Harry knew he was completely at Draco’s mercy.

Harry’s chest felt too tight to contain his thrumming heart when Draco leaned in to kiss him. Once, twice with closed mouths, testing and rearranging so their glasses wouldn’t crash; until their lips became more pliable and perfect for each other. Finally, all his nervousness dissolved, and Harry closed his eyes, pressing against Draco until there was no air left between them, until he felt Draco’s back align with the wall behind him and he couldn’t get any closer. The soft warmth and the taste of brandy and something that he couldn’t put a finger on was all Harry could think about when he licked over Draco’s lips and that parted readily for him.

When Harry’s tongue touched the roof of Draco’s mouth, a gasp escaped Draco’s mouth and a jerk raced through his body. Draco broke the kiss with a stuttering breath, laughing softly, and Harry felt like he would melt right into him.

“Finally,” Draco said, still chuckling a little.

“Finally,” Harry agreed and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Damn, I was so nervous.”

The amusement was replaced with a smug smile on Draco’s lips. “I do have that effect.”

“Tosser… Actually, why did you expect _me_ to make the first move?”

“You’re the Gryffindor.”

“That’s-“ Harry’s mouth was sealed with a peck before Draco admitted, “I tried, but I chickened out all the time. I intended to change that today, but the _awful_ DMLE Christmas party, Merlin… Didn’t exactly get me in the mood, I’m afraid.”

“Good thing you have me, darlings,” came Pansy’s voice from the door to the drawing room. “I’ll accept wine for a thank-you gift.”

Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry found himself chuckling and actually voicing a thank you.

“You and me, we Floo home now.” Pansy beckoned Draco to follow her. When both Harry and Draco opened their mouths in protest, Pansy added, “Draco has rules. Kisses and shags before the first date are for one-night stands. You already broke rule one, darling. I’m not willing to take the blame for your little indiscretion.”

Draco looked a little helpless. “Yes, but… But it’s Harry.”

“Exactly.” Pansy’s tone left no room for debate. “It’s not my fault that you asked me to be your chaperone whenever it comes to serious relationships. I’m just attending to my sworn duty here, dear.”

Draco sighed and had obviously given in. “She’s right about my cursed rules,” he said and turned back to Harry. Grinning up at Draco, Harry pulled him in for a lingering kiss.

“Until tomorrow, then,” Harry said softly. Just when Draco turned to follow Pansy, Harry caught his wrist. “Wait, uhm. We see each other for lunch to talk about the case, right?”

Draco nodded with a smirk.

“We could… I mean, it’s Friday. Would you want to have dinner with me?” Ignoring Pansy’s impatient complaints, Draco answered Harry’s question with a happy smile and another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading  
> <3


End file.
